Camp Belvidere (2014) User Reviews

Needed more development

[SofiaAntoniaMilone · 5/10 · 28 December 2015]

I can see the potential in Astrid Ovalles work here (certainly as an actor), but the trailer is sadly better than the film.

There are some stylish shots, but there are issues with story telling and a lack of context generally. Also, this film isn't believably set in the 50s.

This film is too reliant on minimal dialogue - which usually would be a plus, but in this case due to a lack of any other method of story telling (montage, cutaways, establishing shots, tertiary characters) there's little to go on - thus it's all very 2d and I didn't buy into the romance.

With more development, and clearer direction (particularly with the younger actor who darted out of frame too much, made 20C gestures and expressions and failed to embody a young woman of that decade), this could be a story worth telling.

Potential, yet to be realised.

Essence of lesbian love in 38 minutes

[vivaldi-bgd · 8/10 · 4 November 2015]

Nicely crafted short film telling a story of self-acceptance, love, passion and longing between two women. I loved the scenes and music. It's difficult to present the pace of an evolving love story in a short film. Rose is a strong young lady who definitely knows what she wants. Rose's determination questions and challenges Gin's naturally dominant role as the older and more experienced character. The two ladies' performances were convincing and the chemistry was definitely there. Love scenes were superbly shot.

It's a pity this is only a short film. Astrid should keep on telling stories of lesbian love, this piece was an excellent one.

Not much better than porn

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 16 October 2015]

"Camp Belvidere" is a 38-minute short film from last year written and directed by Astrid Ovalles. She also plays one of the 2 main characters in here. It still baffles me to see how films that are mediocre at best receive such high ratings here on IMDb, only because they deal with the LBGT issue. Who cares if the movie is a complete failure in certain areas? It's about gays, so we give it a perfect rating. This seems to be the approach by many. In this particular example here, we have a truly forgettable story, pretty bad dialog writing and a cast that has some pretty bad moments in terms of acting and line delivery as well. "Camp Belvidere" is not a good movie. I wonder if people who appreciated it and gave it a high rating mostly did so because it got them horny. Then again, I see most of the people who rated it were females. Oh well, no idea, in any case it's not worth the watch. Thumbs down.

Simply divine :)

[rockchic_anouk · 10/10 · 10 July 2015]

I have always respected and appreciated the art behind short films, documentaries and anything else of the kind... I came across this little divine project accidentally and i am quite happy i did! I was excited to see that it took place in the 50's as perception back then varied in many ways... I enjoyed the colors throughout the film and the music score dressed the whole thing beautifully :) The chemistry between the two actresses was great and that definitely attributed to my whole viewing experience... "Gin's" absolute composure and coordination were very interesting aspects of her character, however being captivated, totally mesmerized by "Rose" and losing control over those feelings gave us viewers the idea and concept that love will conquer regardless one's convictions, conflicts or reservations... Even though "Gin" struggles with her attraction towards "Rose", she gives in... And still manages to maintain her composure... She sees the ambition and the strong desire to dream in "Rose" and that fascinates and impresses her... Them becoming one has led us viewers on an emotional roller coaster exploring, discovering, losing ourselves with them... Many messages are passed on to viewers and the fact that there is hope makes this film even more amazing... Oh and a very BIG respect for the passion and the affection!!! Astrid Ovalles and Molly Way have given remarkable and notable performances... Without a doubt, a great watch, a lovely pass time and reruns anytime!!! It has given me the impression that there could be a part two... That would be an amazing thing to look forward to... Astrid, don't ever stop creating! As i said... Simply divine... Can't wait for a DVD release... Well done :)

Waste of time

[ciceroks · 1/10 · 20 August 2020]

I can not remember when was the last time I've seen worse acting than in this so called "movie".

Surprisingly good.

[teeveejeevee · 9/10 · 19 April 2021]

I generally don't watch lesbian short films. My usual experience with them is that they're frustratingly amateurish, with poor production value and bad acting. I know that money is what makes any film possible, and that a short film is a compressed experience, but having a shoestring budget should not in and of itself result in low quality work. So I was pleasantly surprised by Camp Belvidere. With just 38 minutes to tell its story, it did so with rich visuals, a strong theme, decent performances, atmospheric soundtrack, and a compelling and satisfying plot. No film is perfect, and personal opinions are just that, but if you're in the mood for a lesbian romance film, Camp Belvidere is commendable.

Well, I give the cinematography a 4

[ecurr-49427 · 4/10 · 12 August 2021]

That's why I didn't give this 1 star. The cinematography is nice to look at. I'm always searching for a decent lesbian film and 9/10 I don't find one. Camp Belvidere is a good example of that let down. I love that Astrid Orvalles is a creative soul. She's a writer, director and actor. The concept for this short film was promising - one character coming of age, another character - a self-loathing lesbian trying to quietly navigate through the 50's. First, I think Molly Way was miscast. No matter how her character was written, she's a total wrecking ball and busts through her scenes - it's too much. Astrid Orvalles is almost completely wooden in this short - except for the love scene - she seems comfortable and comes to life when her character is giving in to her desires. I was pleasantly surprised by that, actually. The second the sex ends, though - she's back to being flat. She would have done better (my opinion) if her co-star was a better fit. The dialogue is unimpressive and paints no pictures for us - it feels sophomoric. Yes, less is more sometimes - but this short needed some life infused into it and the dialogue didn't do that. I rented this on Prime - didn't finish it until the rental was about to expire (because I didn't want to waste my money - that's how little it moved me). I felt like I was watching actors reciting lines - other than the sex scene - I never felt like I was catching a genuine glimpse into someone else's life. Bit of a pet peeve of mine when the main characters can't pull you into their world. I'm guessing the good reviews are because Astrid Orvalles is gorgeous and because the film is nicely shot - it doesn't look like it was filmed with a cell phone in 2009, like a lot of indy/low budget lesbian flicks look. If you want a decent lesbian storyline with decent acting - go watch Kiss Me (in Swedish with English subtitles). I felt like I was watching REAL people - not actors. Bonus: the sex scenes are very realistic. Watch Fire by Deepa Mehta. Emotional storyline - great actors, writing and directing. It's in Hindi with English subtitles. It's more subtle with sexual content - the beauty is in the affection and kisses from 2 women in a culture that fervently rejects that lifestyle. Novitiate by Maggie Betts is amazingly done - I recommend that. If you're looking for more RomCom/dramedy type lesbian movies then go for Chutney Popcorn, Alto, Imagine Me & You. Don't forget Bound! A crime thriller that's sexy, hilarious and tense when it needs to be. Camp Belvidere will remain a lesbian film I'll only ever watch once. Pretty amazing because my bar isn't incredibly high when it comes to lesbian movies.

Beautiful

[search_too · 10/10 · 13 July 2018]

Such a beautiful movie. Soundtrack so good. Plot so great. Choreography beautiful.

Great cinematography, but that's all

[southernconcern · 3/10 · 16 August 2022]

It's not very good in terms of the performance of the actors, it all feels very wooden and a bit forced. It also doesn't feel authentic to the decade in which its set. A real shame as its clear to see the potential to be great was just missed or maybe the talent just isn't there.

It also seems to be a default that the LGBT community give 10 out of 10, regardless of reality, just because it is an LGBT film.

I wouldn't bother watching.

Good 38 minutes of a lesbian short

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 1 March 2019]

Really liked how the story slowly progressed, the actresses were on point at playing lovers, it was a proper 50 shades of Grey lemme tell ya! Seriously though, it felt like I was watching an award winning short film! 8/10 I give this short lesbian film!

Beautiful!!

[je_chichi · 10/10 · 30 October 2019]

Huge fan of this short. Glad to see a new story about first love. Beautiful imagery and thought out dialogue. I recommmend 100%!

I loved it!

[thecuracaoleangirl · 10/10 · 1 August 2019]

Even though not all stories end up like this one but I really loved it! Recommendable for every one 😏

Beautiful Film

[feleciaslim · 10/10 · 10 March 2020]

Beautiful story all the characters did well Astrid you did great...